Sumita Vaid
Advertising

Triton chills with Rooh Afza

Triton Communications, Delhi, has got the creative and media duties for all print-led advertising of Roof Afza, the 95-year old sharbat brand from Hamdard

Triton Communications, Delhi, has got the creative and media duties for all print-led advertising of Roof Afza, the 95-year old sharbat brand from Hamdard Laboratories. Prior to this, MAA Bozell, Delhi, was handling this account for close to five years. Triton won the business on the back of a creative presentation.

Talking about the responsibilities of the two agencies, Tariq Siddiqui, advertising manager, Hamdard Laboratories, says, "For a while now Hamdard has been using the services of Ad Spots, (an agency dedicated to Hamdard) for all its television-led advertising (from conceiving the creative to producing the television commercials), and we will continue to do so." However, he was unwilling to talk about the size of the business vested with Triton. All that the company was willing to concede was that ‘a substantial budget' will be devoted to the print campaign.

Having part of the creative business does not discourage Triton. In fact the agency has already sprung into action. "The print campaign will break later in May and will run till September," says Vivek Srivastava, vice-president, Triton Communications. The print campaign will try to cover the whole of India through all leading magazines and some select newspapers.

Rooh Afza, in it new avatar, represents a great opportunity for the agency to flex is creative muscle. These multi-coloured sharbats made with Unani formulations are no longer the fuddy-duddy household drinks of the yore. It has been repositioned as ‘a modern cool drink with natural properties' for the youth. While the shift is indeed quite radical, the company has a bigger challenge to address in the marketplace.

Almost all cold drinks are targeting the youth. In fact, a close look at the summer drinks market indicates that Rooh Afza will have to reckon with two different sets of competitors. One, the in-home consumption brands like Rasna, Sunfill, Real, Tropicana etc, and two, the out-of-home drinks including soft drinks and Tetra Pak brands like Frooti, Xs, N-Joi - all of which are trotted on the planks of coolness and their association with the youth.

So, how will Rooh Afza differentiate itself?

"Through usage," explains Srivastava of Triton. "Our strategy will be to expand usage and establish it as a taste enhancer for ice-creams, nimbu-pani, lassi etc. Continuity with the brand's earlier strategy will be maintained by harping on the natural ingredients and their cooling properties as the key product benefits," elaborates Srivastava.

Siddiqui, on his part, rejects competition. "Rooh Afza has no form of competition," He says. "At time when aerated drinks/fruit juice manufacturers are bombarding the market with new variants every season, the flavour ofRooh Afza remains the same since 1907. The objective is to create a young constituency as well, which is health conscious and believes in natural goodness. It is like a contemporary expression of proven goodness."

Company executives say the biggest challenge will be to break the association of Rooh Afza with in-home consumption. "The endeavour will be promote is it as an impulse consumption drink as well," says Srivastava. © 2002 agencyfaqs!

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